Shinken

Personally, I can't stand some of this 'modern art' stuff that's all over the place these days. A block sitting against a wall does not symbolize anything in my opinion. Art is an expression of human emotion. If you take some tape, make a square out of it, and give it a fancy name, all you've done is wasted a good roll of tape. That's it. Anime is art, and I don't mean just the pretty pictures. Think about it. There's a story, a message to convey. The characters are supposed to identify with some base emotion we all share. I personally can't identify with the aforementioned piece of tape. (except for being wasted. :alcohol: :beer: ) I [i]can[/i] identify with Kenshin Himura, or Goku. If it conveys an emotion in a way that people can identify with, then it's art. If you set a block against the wall and say it signifies eternity, well, I'm sorry. I just don't get it. (As far as the aforementioned 'projector and dust on the floor' thing, I can kinda see the art in that. You watch the dust just float around, and it looks... well, interesting, cool, and there's something about it. Kinda makes you think. What, I don't know, but I've found myself watching the dust in a ray of sunlight. :sweat: )

I know what I'm about to say may sound cliched, but it's my honest opinion. If we lived forever, then what would be the point of existence? I think that we have a limit on our time so that we try harder to make a purpose. Whenever you're taking a test, there's a time limit. And the closer you get to that limit, the harder you work to get where you want to be: at the end of the test. If we lived forever, we'd put everything off because we'd have all the time in the world. We'd get nothing done, have no true ambitions. I also believe that we define our own purpose. Even though I do believe in a God, it makes no sense to me that God would give us free will if we could only go where he wanted us to, and nowhere else. We make our own choices, we have our own ambitions. It ties into my previous statement. We're given a limited time so we can decide who we want to be, and then we try as hard as we can to be ourselves until the end. What happens at the end isn't for me or anyone else to say. All I know is the here and now, and I'm not going to put that off until later, because tomorrow never really comes. All we have is today. (This is extremely ironic, because just a few moments ago I was sitting in front of my computer wondering exactly the same thing... Then I give myself an answer. Heh. :wow: )

Okay, this sounds interesting. So, here's my birthday: October 21, 1988

Well, I'm a guy gamer, but I have absolutely no problem with girls playing videogames. And if a girl came up to me and said she could wipe the floor with me on Tekken 4, I'd be up to the challenge, and if she beat the crap out of me, I'd have no problem with it. And I've run into plenty of guys who were just like the ones described above. And when they're being complete and utter... not-nice-guys, just beat 'em up! ;) And that's my 2 cents. (Or 118 yen, depending on how you look at it... :D )

Well, I've played Magic before, and... it was okay. I'm not much for cardgames, but it was a very strategic game. My friends are awesome at it, and they've got quite possibly the largest card collections I've seen. (I'm glad that nobody has bursted into this thread screaming satanic affliction. I've seen that happen once. It's not a pretty thing...)

Well, Japan, we're even on this. I think that Linkin Park: Live in Texas is their best CD yet. I like Reanimation as well, but Texas puts the icing on the cake. I especially like the very last song. The extra lyrics are interesting, and I really identify with all of their songs. Oh, and one more thing me and Japan agree on: A lack of monetary funds. :bawl:

My favorite episode would have to be... well, I can't think of one that I [i]don't[/i] like! But the one where Cartman locks Butters in a bomb shelter and rips off every post-apocalyptic movie of all time, just to get to "CASA BONITA!!!!". The ending is just awesome (or JAWESOME, as I like to say). Cartman is the all-around best character.

Okay, we've got the Good and the Bad of New Year's Eve 2003, but I've got a tale of the Ugly. I was sitting on the couch, watching Dick Clark do his usual thing, and then I actually started paying attention. That special is absolutely pointless. They could at least get some sane reporters. The blonde guy scared the crap out of me, but it was nothing compared to when Dick said that he loved 50 Cent, calling him the best musician of the year. oO; Now [b]that's[/b] a sammich-er, I mean, UGLY.

I remember watching Tenchi Muyo at my friend's house (back when they still had it on Cartoon Network. WHY DID THEY TAKE IT OFF!?). I thought it was a great show, and it also helped when I saw Weird Al's "Harvey the Wonder Hamster" song played with clips of Ryo-Oki flopping his ears and eating carrots. "HARVEY IS A WONDER HAMSTER! YAY HARVEY!" oO; Anyways, Tenchi Muyo was a great blend of drama, action, and comedy. I'm not too convinced over the upcoming Tenchi reincarnation... Looks kinda dumb.

Well, as far as underrated anime, I'd have to agree with the underrating of DBZ. I know a lot of people who've never seen it, but automatically label it as a social "NO". Then again, any and all anime is socially unacceptable in my area. Which really, [i]really[/i] sucks. Oh, and, uh... well, Rurouni Kenshin is definitely underrated in my area, because it's animated. It's annoying how people can't see past the fact that it's animated... :devil:

I just got the PS2 with Network Adapter, and I'm curious as to whether or not there is a subscription fee or any other cost for the Online service.

Hm, let's see here. My past two Usernames have been Battosai and currently Shinken... What anime could I possibly be receiving for Christmas? Rurouni Kenshin, of course. I'm getting the Tales of the Meiji DVDs. :D ME SO HAPPY!!! With whatever money I'll get, you can bet it'll be spent on anime/manga, along with a few other things. (I hear AFI's got a new album out...)

I know that my last post about something like this ended relatively soon, but this is just too horrible to not post about. If you check out [url]www.godhatesamerica.com[/url] you'll basically bombarded by bigotry. What I don't understand is just how these sites are protected by the First Amendment. It's absolutely ridiculous- these guys not only "justify" the 9/11 terror attacks, but also glorify those who carried out the attacks as "messengers" of a religion which they hate! It's my opinion that something like this wouldn't even hold up in a court of law. And they also discriminate against homosexuals, veterans, etc. It's sickening. The worst part: they're an [b]AMERICAN[/b] group! Well, they originated in this country. But they're NOT Americans, in my opinion.

Thanks for the help. Of course, if anyone's got some money to 'lend' me, then by all means... Is PaintShop Pro seriously $100? Because that's all the Christmas money I'll get, and I don't wanna spend it all in one place...

I'm thinking about purchasing one of these two programs, but I'm not sure which one is better. My main plan for using them is for whatever I draw that I want to scan in (obviously), and so I'm curious as to which one will perform better overall. Please respond, I'm really confused. (i.e. [b]ZHUH!?[/b] )

Myself, I've got an anime in the works, but what I do is first, just write a story. Just a regular story- put it down in pen, type it in MS Word, it doesn't matter, just write a story. You could either do it in script form, or a full-fledged story. After you've gotten all of your ideas together, then draw them. I've found that process to work quite well. (Although my anime isn't completed yet-You know, school...)

Well, you have it ladies and gentlemen: My banner! I used the main characters of my two favorite anime, using images with a bit of contrast when placed side-by-side. I also used a black-and-gray border (inspired by the black-and-white borders on James' banners). Forgive me, though- I don't have Paintshop Pro. Only Paint. :bawl: Opinions, anybody? [color=teal]Upload edited. Please avoid uploading .BMPs, and please stick to .JPG and .GIF. Thanks. -Syk3[/color]

[i]As I walk down the Path, this road we call Life, I find myself at an impasse. Two separate branches at which men choose their way, the paths uncrossing. I sit on the ground before the separation, pushed and shoved by those hurriedly making their Way. Questions and thoughts pass in and out of my mind, but are swiftly drowned out by the voices of others. Each voice distinct, yet completely indifferent. Nothingness fills my mind as I reclaim my self. My Path is clear. I stand once again, and begin to follow the rest. Upon reaching the fork, I take the Middle Path. As others on their Paths watch me make my own, I am surrounded by all, ignoring none.[/i]

I, too, hated Furbies. Mainly because, when they hit my school, they hit it HARD. Now, my bus is normally full of a bunch of loud, maniacal idiots who have absolutely nothing to talk about, but still manage to open their mouths and make some noise. Furbies made my bus rides a living hell, as the pointless conversation DOUBLED. And, even worse, there were the VOICES. Oh my god, those things had the worst, most annoying voices ever. Anyone who thought those voices were cute is a sick individual who must commit Frisbee Seppuku (for instructions, read my sig.)

SECTION A In the following section, please answer each statement with one of five answers: A) Strongly Agree B) Agree C) Somewhat Agree D) Disagree E) Strongly Disagree 1) I find OtakuBoards rules easy to understand and follow.[b]A[/b] 2) I feel that the staff at OtakuBoards understand their job and are capable of performing it appropriately. [b]A[/b] 3) OtakuBoards is easy to navigate. [b]A[/b] 4) OtakuBoards has a friendly atmosphere. [b]A[/b] SECTION B Please try to keep your answers relatively short in this section. 5) How often do you visit OtakuBoards? [b] At least once a day, unless I'm in the hospital or something...[/b] 6) Do you feel that the rules are too strict/not strict enough/fine as they are? [b]I think that, currently, the rules are fine. Unfortunately though, there might have to be a bit more restrictions on language in the RPGs, because some of the newer members are overusing the privilege. :flaming:[/b] 7) Should we continue to uncensor the creative writing areas on OtakuBoards? [b]Yes[/b] 8) Would you rather a decentralized forum system on OB (more forums, less activity per forum) or a centralized forum system (less forums, more activity per forum)? [b] ZHUH?! If I understand this correctly... Decentralized. [/b] 9) Would you like to see a closer integration of myOtaku and OtakuBoards? [b] OH YEAH *ahem* [/b] 10) Are you signed up to myOtaku.com? [b] You know it! [/b] 11) If you are not signed up to myOtaku.com, do you plan to sign up in the near future? [b] Read above. [/b] 12) Do you read Announcements at OtakuBoards? [b] Depends on the subject. Usually... Nope. [/b] 13) Which single Category (Category, as opposed to individual Forum) do you spend most of your time visiting? [b] Usually, I'm in the Lounge. I'm a loafer. [/b] 14) Do you think that OtakuBoards should offer an in-built chat system as part of our service? If we included a chat, would you use it? [b] If it was free, Yeah. [/b] 15) If we offered an "OtakuBoards Wireless" service that would be accessible via Internet-capable cellphones, would you use it? [b] Again, if it was free, yeah. Oh, wait- I need a cell phone first. :bawl: [/b] 16) When we offer a next generation version of OtakuBoards, should we continue to provide semi-regular community events in our Event Arena or a similar forum? [b] Definitely. It's a cool thing. [/b] 17) If you could add one new Category (Category, not Forum) to OtakuBoards, what would it be? [b] Uh... Probably a Forum in which people could post reviews or introduce new anime/manga that few people would know about. As far as a title, I have no idea. [/b] 18) If you could remove one Category from OtakuBoards, what would it be? [b] For me, it'd be the thread about OB member pictures- it's useless for me, as I have no digital camera. Again, :bawl: [/b] 19) If you could add anything to OtakuBoards (in terms of a new forum, a technical tool/feature, etc), what would it be? [b] Um... Maybe... Well, my idea from question 17 is all I can think of. Sorry. [/b] 20) On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest), how would you rate your experience at OtakuBoards since you registered? [b]10[/b]

As far as the content warning, I was going to do that, but as far as language... Well, I'm using it pretty sparsely, but I'm using it only to show the overall grittiness of the characters (it's from a first-person perspective, so it's basically for the grittiness of the main character).

I'm surprised that Manhunt didn't receive an Adults Only rating; it's over-the-top, and in my opinion pointless violence. Now, Grand Theft Auto, those games have a cinematic plot. But Manhunt, in my opinion, is no better than a B-Movie with a controller attached. And even if there is a plot, there isn't much of one. It's kinda like "Running Man", but instead you've got guys in hockey masks you strangle with wires (an actual game option). And the violence in GTA III isn't quite so serial-killer-esque. Yes, you can use chainsaws and screwdrivers (in Vice City), but it's not quite so graphic as to give you closeups (to my knowledge). In my opinion, Manhunt seems to be a tasteless game, and I definitely won't play it. As far as being banned in New Zealand, I say "That's a good idea". I really would have to agree with G/S/B Master. It should be taken out of production, because, like I said, it's tasteless. (I don't think that adults should get a hobby if they play games, though. But that's off-topic, and I wouldn't want to be the one to get a thread closed.)

Well, here's my question: I'm in the process of writing a Grand Theft Auto fanfic. The problem is that there's some course language, and (as is usual with GTA), lots of violence. So, I was wondering if I would still be able to post it in the Poetry, Fanfiction, and Literature thread due to the graphic content. I wouldn't want to offend anybody, nor would I like to break the rules.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ChibiHorsewoman [/i] [B][color=violet]Okay, so people are stupid. I doubt that's a newsworthy story. As for the GOD flag hey,. as long as they make a goddess flag for the rest of us so they can hang togther, what's the problem? I di find it interesting that Santa Clause is another tool of the devil tho. I mean it's soo obvious, if you rearrange the letters in Santa you get SATAN! Wake up people, the devil is tricking you! Oh, and I hope nobody takes me seriously in that last sentence because I sure didn't. The point's been made, nobody made you visit the site. No as for those Mall converters-I'll be wearing a t-shirt with the words-Hell on Heels. Come and get it! Okay, time for Leno![/color] [/B][/QUOTE] :therock: Zhuh? A 'goddess flag'? That, too, would leave out Buddhists, wouldn't it? That's one of the problems I have with these people- the fact that they ignore any non-evangelical denomination. Then there's the whole religious slurs thing combined with the sheer ignorance factor. And, to put icing on the crapcake, they give you their e-mail address stating that "Your input is valuable!"- and they NEVER reply. It's been about a week since I sent them e-mails, and they have thus far ignored me. *I wonder if they'll respond to a "sympathetic" e-mail. THAT'D be hypocritical...* Anyways, what bothered me more was the Chick comic about the "evil Buddhists". For one thing, this guy just blatantly made this up. He couldn't be more wrong if he tried. (Case in point: THERE IS NO "LORD BUDDHA"!!! Trust me on this one ;) ) Religious fanaticism + Shinken= :flaming:

Just like every year, I'm definitely going to get some Christmas money this year, and I'm planning on purchasing Need for Speed: Underground for the PS2. I've already seen the reviews on X-Play and in Official Playstation Magazine, but I'm still not sure whether or not to buy it. So- should I buy it or not? I don't want to end up wasting $50 on a hunk of junk. (Although I do trust the two other sources, I still need a third opinion. :drunk: )